Bundesliga giants insist €18m deal will be completed and that they will have the Germany international custodian in their squad for the start of the 2011-12 season

Bayern Munich are confident that they will formally sign Manuel Neuer this summer despite recent suggestions that Schalke will try to hold on to their goalkeeper.

Reports in the German media strongly suggest that an agreement between the two clubs have been reached, with Bayern to pay Schalke €18 million as transfer fee for Neuer, whose contract with the Royal Blues ends at the end of next season.

Nonetheless, Bayern’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes that they will have Neuer in their team for next season and told Bild: "I am convinced Schalke will keep to the agreement we made with a handshake.

“I know the representatives of Schalke as men of honour and reputable operators, as we are too."

However, Schalke board member Peter Peters gave a different version of the deal and explained: "At the end of our conversation [Bayern managing director] Karl Hopfner stood up and we shook hands to seal the switch. But then our managing director Horst Heldt said: ‘No, we cannot do that yet!’”

He added: "We had a really good conversation with the Bavarians and have also reached an economic agreement. But we have not yet decided to accept the offer.”

Neuer rejected a contract extension from Schalke earlier this season but recently said that he is in the dark over his future.

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